Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1887-01-15
QUEER PEOPLE.
A Race of Barbarians Who Inhabit
the Jungles OF Siam.

l
pecularties of this peculiar section is
an almost unknown race of people. an
account of which feel assured will be
of interest. A few days since the gov
ernor of Sangkia, province on the
west coast Of Siam, who was here tc
bring tribute to the king. gave me con.
siderable information in regard to these
people. who live on the coast terming
them Ken Pon--jungle people. They
make their home amid the densest por-
ton of the forest, and have but little
communication with the outer world
in fact, they are entirely isolated. The
only persons that they hold intercourse
with are slaves and traders who have
penetrated the Jungle in search of game
or barter, as it is almost impossible to
| penetrate to the villages on account of
the density of the vegetation. the dam
that infest them. They shun all inter-
course with strangers, have a peculiar
dialect of their own, live in small
villages, and are muscular. hardy
race, strictly vegetarians. do not drink
or smoke opium, but have few. if
any. of the vices of the natives,
and seem to be sunk in the most
abject barbarlsm, occupying the lowest
grade Of humanity. What little relig-
ion they may have is mongrel wor-
ship of demons and the malignant
spirits that they assert inhablt tho jun
gle, which they attempt to proptiate by
partly subterraneous. about four feet
high, an excavation in the ground,
around which stakes are driven, cover
ed with dome of plated bamboo, over
which is plastered a thick coating of
mud, which soon hardens in the sun,
rendering it impervious to the rain or
the heavy dews of that section, which
they occupy only when necessity re-
quires. as they live mostly in the open
air. and, when the land is over lowed.
up in the trees. Their clothing is of the
most primitive kind. A piece of cloth
about one foot wide and four feet in
length, which is held in place by piece
Of Llama, or vine. as they have no cord or
rope, is made into belt placed around
the waist; then the cloth is inserted be-
tween the legs and carried both back
and front up under the belt over which
it laps. and the hand being drawn tight
holds it in place, and as the ends are
opened spread out like small aprons.
and thus the denizens of the jungle are
in full dress, somewhat akin to the
Edenic costume of old-the fig leaf.
One of the peculiarities of this strange
people IS the way they raise their rice,
which is their main staple almost their
sole stock of provisions. eked out with
fruits, roots and herbs, which they col
ect when in season, and the jungle is
prolific of such kind of food Each viii
lage has its head man, all live in COM
mon. and as soon as a field of rice is ready
to be cut he orders it and distributes the
grain equally among his people, and so
on during the season, all sharing alike
Their only implements are large knife
used for cutting rice, building their
huts, and making tops and cutting their
way through the underground, and a
pair of shears for cutting hair. which
they cut short with the exception of
tuft on the crown of the head about two
inches in length, which looks like n
shoebrush standing up like bristles.
Having no pots, they cook their rice in
bamboo. They cut off section and
shave il thin, open hole in one end.
put in the rice and water. then, closing
up the end, put in the fire. Green bam-
boo being impervious to the flavor. they
thus have iirst-class pot. The same is
used by the Siamese when travelling
the jungle--and as they eat
with their fingers they need no dishes,
and thus have none to wash when the
meal is over.
When they need cloth, knives, or
shoes, they barter the products OF the
Jungle. which are many and varied,
consisting of rhinoceros horns, ele-
plant tushes, horns, bones. hides, and
skins. but will not take money, except |
N rare cases, having no use for it, not |
its value. They are expert
.rappcrs and snare all kinds of game,
elephant, rhinoceros, tigers leopards,
Dumas. deers, and all other denizens of |
he wild woods. for their skins. and
,sme of the finest ivory exported was
purchased from these people, but their
skins were badly handled. which de-
;racts from thcir value, being merely
Tried in the sun after being stripped
from the animal.
When forced to 60 shod, which is sell
iom, they improvise sandal. which
hey make out of piece of hide. round
ID in front and behind, with hole
where the big toe rests, through which
S inserted piece Of bamboo, fastened
IN the bottom with loon on top.